The Iron Door
by Justa Little Puppy
Summary: On his way to remove a dangerous criminal from the isolation room, a young guard wonders if it was a good idea to have agreed to go alone. Whether he had been brave or foolish depends on what happens after he opens that big iron door. (Prison Au, and MarcoXAce if you use your imagination)


**Puppy's Post It: So... Yeah. Another plot puppy. Arf? What? No, I am not procrastinating the chapters for my other stories. Yes, I've read my profile. I am NOT being a meanie story neglecter for the sake of short stories randomly inspired while high on hair product fumes -3- Anyway~ Um, for the ending. I guess use your imagination on what goes on from there peeps * winks at my fellow MarcoXAce shippers* :P Please review, arf arf! Tis random but I wanna know what peeps think, arf. This was done while I was getting my hair done today (well technically yesterday tis 12 in the morning right now o3o), so I hope it's ok! :3 EDIT: Didn't expect peeps to want a continuation o3o But hey, I don't mind, arf! I'll do it, but since before the ending was based on peeps imagination, I dunno what to continue it as, a pairing or just a normal story u3u So I has a poll, arf arf! VOTE PLZ Y'ALL SO I KNOWZ WHAT TO DO XO**

**Disclaimer: Seriously, what on earth would I be doing on this site if I owned One Piece? -.-**

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The big iron door was closed.

_"It should damn well stay that way."_

That was a common thought to frequent Ace's mind as he walked down the hall, a tight frown gracing his features. It was a long, deliberate walk. One that held dread and anxiety he cursed himself for. But he couldn't help the way he felt with each second he spent on the gray concrete floor.

He shouldn't be doing this. They shouldn't have sent _HIM_ of all people, to release _HIM_ of all people from the Hole. He'd never been anywhere else by himself, which irked him to no end. So why did they think _here_ of all places was the best to let him go for once? When it was offered, of course he had accepted without second thought. Hadn't given it much thought that no one volunteered to come. Hadn't given it much thought when he agreed to go alone. But now that the reality of what he was about to do was sinking in...

The raven haired man swallowed, the big iron door getting closer and closer with each step. His hands felt uncomfortably sweaty, and it was a wonder the keys jingling rhythmically in his hands didn't slip out. He wasn't one to get nervous easily, but the man behind those big iron doors... He shuddered.

_"Calm down. He can't do anything. He can not touch you. Calm down."_

He repeated this in his mind several times, but with each step he felt heavier and heavier with apprehension. Maybe he wouldn't have felt this way, if not for his fellow co-workers. The only advice they could think to give is to never underestimate him. Or he'd sooner be dead.

And Ace would take their words to heart. He'd been there, when they first put him in. For... Breaking his fellow inmate's leg, was it? Or it could've been for something else. He didn't really remember. Nobody talked about it. But, Ace did remember the look the man had given him.

An icy, lazy blue gaze. Bored even, considering he'd just sent a guy near bleeding to death to the infirmary, or whatever it was he'd done. Ace hadn't been around for it.

That was one of the biggest reasons why Ace hadn't understood why the man had only been looking at him, the entire time he was walked to the Hole. Out of all the guards who'd come together, just to walk the practically causal looking blonde down the narrow hallway, he'd only been looking at him. Staring him down? Observing him? Calculating the best way to snap his neck with his foot? Ace didn't know. But, nevertheless, Ace had stared back the entire time. Eyes narrowed and heart racing, Ace had stared back stone faced. Even when the man had been shoved into the room, even when the other guards had jeered at him despite themselves, his eyes never left the freckled man's. And the freckled man's never left his.

Now, though, Ace was starting to wonder if that'd been a smart decision. Why had he done that? Stared down one of the most dangerous criminals in the land? Standing in front of the iron door now, Ace narrowed his eyes. It wasn't like he could just take back friggin' staring. The man had... Ace blinked, a sudden rush of confident thoughts rushing into his mind. ...Probably already forgotten, anyway.

Gripping the keys tighter and raising them to the lock, Ace smirked a little to himself. So what if he did, anyway? So what if he knew his face, was angry he'd stared at him, so what if he was dangerous? Behind locked doors and laden with chains, the man was no threat to him. What had he been being such a coward about before, when that simple advantage of his was remembered?

With a rush of adrenaline and comfort with such things in mind, Ace tugged the big iron door open.

His cocky grin fell almost immediately.

_H-he... He isn't..._

_He isn't there?!_

A cold, eerie feeling pooled into his stomach, staring wide eyed into the little dark room. Even in this dark, the man shouldn't be able to hide in such a small place... No, he had to be in there. He _NEEDED_ to be in there.

Ace's mouth went dry as he slowly, carefully poked his head in, grabbing a flashlight from his belt and shining it inside. Nothing. No one.

For a moment, Ace forgot how to breathe.

Well, shit. They were all screwed weren't they? If that guy had escaped, the whole country would be in panic, everyone here would lose their jobs, people would die. He didn't even understand how... The door had been...! He was going to get blamed for this, wasn't he?

The young guard's distracted inner panic was his fatal mistake. Strong, muscled arms grabbed out at him, covering his mouth and gripping at his torso. No time to scream, no time to react, and the last thing he saw was that lazy blue gaze.

Then the big iron door was closed.

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**Puppy's Post It: My only justification for this is that people were watching a prison movie at my hair salon today ._.**


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